Appliances and Equipment

Energy-efficient appliances and equipment: lower bills, cleaner buildings.

Residential and commercial buildings do not use energy or generate emissions on their own—it is the appliances and equipment within the buildings that are responsible. ACEEE is focused on appliances that are major energy users in buildings, such as space and water heating, and on promoting the market adoption of energy-efficient alternatives at prices all users can afford.

Efficiency reduces energy use and operating costs. Electrification (for example, replacing fossil-fuel heating with heat pumps) eliminates pollution from burning fuel in buildings and from methane leakage from pipes. And demand flexibility and energy storage align appliance energy use with periods of abundant clean energy, further reducing costs and emissions.

ACEEE conducts research to identify strategies to reduce the upfront and operating costs of key appliances, such as heat pumps. We use this research to inform efforts to increase adoption of these better appliances, including consumer education, incentives, voluntary specifications and agreements, and policies. These policies include minimum efficiency standards, which have been among the most successful measures used by states and the federal government to save energy, resulting in over $600 in savings per household per year. Finally, we also organize topical conferences, such as the Hot Water and Hot Air Forums, that bring together appliance experts to further clear barriers to their adoption.